Parents sue school for child's injury

A parent at a Bakersfield City School is asking the city school district to pay $19,000 after his daughter fell off the monkey bars and broke her wrist. This is not the first parent to file this kind of claim. Past Bakersfield City School Board meeting agendas show other parents have filed similar claims.

While it's not uncommon to fall off the monkey bars, the parent contends that the school district is responsible for his daughter's broken wrist and damages for her "traumatic experience." The parent maintains that his daughter's accident could've been prevented by adding grip tape on the monkey bars. However, most schools and playgrounds around town don't have grips on their monkey bars.

When a child is injured at school here are some questions to consider:

1. Was the accident preventable? Did the school have adequate surfacing? If there was "fill" product like sand or woodchips was a adequate level of product maintained to prevent injury should a child fall?

2. Did the school provide adequate supervision? Was there a teacher or district employee on duty to supervise children and intervene in inappropriate play?

3. Were other children involved in the injury?

4. Was adequate first aid provided at the time of injury?

Schools can often avoid lawsuits altogether or limit liability by being proactive. Want to know more about what schools can do to protect themselves? Check out the online playground supervision course where these and other questions on playground supervision are answered.

History of Black Friday

Black Friday. Where did that come from? In California we call the day after Thanksgiving, "the day after Thanksgiving."

Wikipedia defines it as: Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, which is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. The term dates back to at least 1966, although its usage was primarily on the East coast. The term has become more common in other parts of the country since 2000. Because Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, Black Friday occurs between the 23rd and the 29th of November.

So why black Friday?

What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Guidelines for Healthy Preschoolers

Feeding and fitness for preschoolers

Harvard University researchers propose these guidelines for healthy preschoolers. Aimed at child-care centers, they also are good goals for parents.

• Two hours of daily physical activity, half in structured play and half in active free play

• No more than 30 minutes of sitting at a stretch

• Only 1 percent or fat-free milk for kids 2 and older

• No more than 6 ounces of 100 percent juice a day

• No sugar-sweetened beverages

Serving sizes

• Serve about 1 tablespoon of each food type per year of age

• Teach children to start with small portions, then add more if still hungry

• Don't insist on a clean plate

For more, see www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers

New Zealand Playgrounds: Grant: Move It Kit

1. What do playgrounds look like in New Zealand? Check out the "Keep Me Smiling" Blog post on playgrounds.

2. You might want to take a look at the new kit for schools called Move It. It is a free download and designed to get kids active and reduce the risk of diabetes.

3. EPA Accepting Applications for Environmental Education Grant Funding
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting grant applications for a total of $3.4 million in funding for environmental education projects and programs. EPA expects to award approximately 100 grants ranging from $5,000 to $200,000 and will accept applications until December 15, 2009. More information on eligibility and application materials:

http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html

PA University requires Below 30 BMI or Take Physical Education

Lincoln University's recent decision to require students to undergo a physical examination before graduation has upset some students, the Lincolnian reports. If a student's body mass index surpasses 30, he or she must complete a physical education class in order to graduate.

Opponents of the requirement say the university is discriminating against obese people. More on new requirement...

PEP Grant Brings Peaceful Playgrounds to Central Kitsap Schools

CKSD bringing peace to the playground

A Federal Physical Education for Progress (PEP) Grant provided Central Kitsap schools money to install Peaceful Playgrounds games and markings at all 12 elementary schools in the district.

CKSD hopes the changes also will help in the classroom.

“If the kids are not all wound up, then the teachers will have more time for instruction,” Martin said.

The district recently received $50,000 for equipment on the playgrounds. Ted Vaughn, physical education specialist for CKSD, said the grant was part of a federal $727,950 Carol M. White Physical Education Program grant used for enhancing the district’s health and fitness programs throughout the schools.

At Jackson Park, four-square grids, hopscotch areas and a host of other games now dot the recess landscape. And for playground supervisor Tina Miglio, the difference is already evident.

“There’s been more team interaction and more inclusion,” she said. “It’s definitely made a difference.”

More on Central Kitsap Peaceful Playground.

Recess First Movement Catching On

Recess Before Lunch schedule is catching on. Here's an article from Southern CA regarding their switch to the recess first schedule.

Don't forget to check out the Peaceful Playgrounds Featured Article on Recess Before Lunch and join us for a webinar on the topic called Recess Before Lunch 5 Steps to Success. Registration Link

Y offers recess for home-schoolers

Hardyston The Sussex County YMCA is running a twice monthly “recess” program for home-schooled families in northern New Jersey. What a novel idea. It is offered for an hour at lunchtime 2 Thursday's a month. Students can use the facilities which include a pool, playground and picnic area. Seems like a great service to home schooled kids and parents.

Let's hope this idea spreads.

General Mills Grant for Peaceful Playgrounds

General Mills Foundation awards 50 grants of $10,000 each to community-based groups that develop creative ways to help youth adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle.

Online Applications Due: January 15, 2010

Award Recipients Announced: May 2010

Online Grant Application or General Mills Grant Website

General Mills has selected Peaceful Playgrounds as a MODEL PROGRAM FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION.

*** Are applying for this grant??? Join Peaceful Playgrounds for an information and support session (Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 10:00 AM PST - Free Webinar Registration for this date!) to include research citations, past assessments that may assist with your evaluation and language on Peaceful Playgrounds to include in your grant application. 877-444-9888.

Email (andrea@peacefulplaygrounds.com for a free grant writing template for applying for the General Mills Grant.

Debate Continues Over Chocolate Milk in Schools

Should schools serve chocolate milk? A recent story in the Chicago Tribune looks at the question and examines district policies across the nation.

When an IL school district banned flavored milk from its lunch menus, a group of 5th grade students persuaded administrators to give it another chance. Now the sweetened drinks are served on "Flavored Fridays" as the district tries to decide whether the benefits of calcium and vitamin D are worth the added sugar.

The dilemma is an example of a discussion playing out across the country, as educators try to reconcile two concerns: childhood obesity and insufficient calcium intake.


More on Chocolate Milk in Schools...

Service Learning Project Serves Kids and Learning

This video is of a 9-11 Service Learning Project from the Lewis-Clark Service Corps (division of Americorps) in Idaho. The university kinesiology department in conjunction with the service learning organization painted the Peaceful Playgrounds games and markings for a local Christian school called, Corner Stone Christine School. Watch the video of the painting and children's experience with Peaceful Playgrounds.

Best of Us Challenge: PE classes get involved

Applications for Education
The Best of Us Challenge provides a fun opportunity to get kids excited about physical education challenges and compete with some of the best athletes in the world. The Best of Us Challenge also provides an opportunity for students who may not fit into the typical "athlete" mold to show-off their unique skills. Check out their website for contest rules and go for it.

Mileage Club Motivates Runners

Palm City Elementary PE teacher's program encourages kids to run for fitness and fun.

http://www.tcpalm.com/videos/detail/students-get-running-mileage-club

View the video of physical education teacher talking about motivating her students to run so that they will be successful at the mile run component in the state physical fitness test. The running club is not only motivating students to run more but also causing students to think about their health.

More on the running club......

New Study: Daily PE Key to Improving Health

School-based physical education plays a key role in curbing obesity and improving fitness among adolescents from low-income communities, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley. The study, which identifies opportunities for adolescents to improve their health based on routine daily activities, finds that regular participation in PE class is significantly associated with greater cardiovascular fitness and lower body mass index.

"This research will help support moving physical education policy forward. Clearly, physical education in schools is an underutilized tool in our efforts to reduce pediatric obesity," said Patricia Crawford, DrPH, RD, the study's senior author and director of the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley.

Read more on PE Key to Improving Health....

Obesity and Lack of Physical Education Obstacles to Military Readiness

A recently released report, "Ready, Willing and Unable to Serve," states that the military had one of its best recruiting years since the draft ended in 1973. This is especially surprising since about 75 percent of the country's 17- to 24-year-olds are ineligible for military service, largely because they are poorly educated, overweight and have physical ailments that make them unfit for the armed forces, according to the report issued Thursday.

"When you get kids who can't do push-ups, pull-ups or run, this is a fundamental problem not just for the military but for the country," said Curtis Gilroy, the Pentagon's director of accessions policy. Many kids are not "taking physical education in school; they're more interested in sedentary activities such as the computer or television. And we have a fast-food mentality in this country."

So how did the military hit its recruiting goals? Military officials say their recent success is due to increased spending on recruiting and bonuses, which in the Army went from an average of less than $8,000 in 2000 to more than $18,000 in 2008. A dismal economy, which drove up civilian unemployment, helped fill the ranks as well.

Parent Petition Saves Recess

De Kalb County School Board voted to reinstate recess as a result of a parent petition. While most schools held recess, it was not mandated and could be denied to a child as a punishment or canceled for the entire class due to a conflict.

Now, recess is no longer an option but a requirement and cannot be withheld from a student.

Read how other parents and concerned advocates have saved recess.

Download the Peaceful Playgrounds Right to Recess Campaign Toolbox for saving recess at your school.You can have the Peaceful Playgrounds Right to Recess Campaign Toolbox sent directly to your email box. The campaign toolbox contains a full PowerPoint presentation and speakers notes along with all research and documents to support daily, unstructured physical activity during school hours. Use the Right to Recess Toolbox to let your community know that kids deserve and NEED recess!

A sample petition used to save recess in De Kalb County can be find here.

Picture and article modified from Get Schooled which features information and conversation about education in Atlanta, Georgia and the nation.
By author/blogger Maureen Downey

November Play Nice Newsletter

Did you receive the November Play Nice Newsletter?

This month's newsletter provides information regarding an article on "Can Physical Education Make You Smarter", A Recess Controversy, H1N1, a recent legal ruling regarding Recess and Peaceful Playgrounds New Online Playground Supervisor Training.

Punishment at Recess

A mom is peeved at an Oklahoma school which reportedly punished her son by having him stand facing a wall at recess. The parent claims that he was told to stand close enough to the wall to touch it with his nose. The punishment was for failing to finish a homework assignment.

"I think it's a horrible policy. I think it's humiliating and I think it's disgusting," the parent reported to the school. "It was extremely traumatic. When he called me, he was crying. He was very upset."

The Oklahoma TV station that covered the story has a video and poll on their website.


SURVEY
Do you think the Oklahoma school's punishment (having the student stand facing the building during recess) for not turning in homework was excessive?

Comment to this blog and make your opinion heard.

By the way, Peaceful Playgrounds published and article "60 Alternatives to Withholding Recess". Check it out.

Featured Article: Can Physical Education Make You Smarter?

For some time, researchers have known that exercise changes the structure of the brain, resulting in improvements in concentration, fidgeting and creates new brain cells.

The body-mind link is well documented. But current thinking and actions (like eliminating recess and physical education) leads me to question if some decisions reflect the cliché that "our bodies exist to carry our heads around."Current thinking on the topic however, acknowledges, "Any thinking has the whole body participating."

More.....Can PE Make You Smarter?

Recess Controversy

A decision was reached in the legal case involving the 4th graders who were reading the Bible at recess and were told to stop. It seems a parent observed the activity and complained.

The parents of one of the Bible reading students sued with the assistance of the Alliance Defense Team . The parents sued for just one dollar, recognition that their child's rights had been violated, and an injunction against future such actions.

The school claimed it was all a misunderstanding. They contended that a school district policy which limited adult-lead Bible study sessions at school to "before and after school hours" in violation of the policy. The school further contended that recess was an "instructional part of the school day."

The verdict. The school won.

I'm reminded of my education law classes which revealed, "Students leave their rights at the schoolhouse door." However, that appears to be changing........

Background information and other articles on topic...

Can we all just play nice?